Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), M.S, has enjoyed another record-breaking year during 2016 and for the first time in its remarkable history since being founded in 1990 has successfully completed over 400 programmes/activities during a calendar year.
The previous record was 305 in 2015 and the club was able to surpass its initial target of 300 by late September and revised one of 400 on November 29. The club, during the month of December, was able to round off the year with an unbelievable 353 activities, the most in its 26-year history.
Club Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster, described 2016 as the best ever in the history of the organisation and noted that every year, the activities of the club keeps expanding in an effort to make a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate.
The major highlights for the club during the year were the induction of President David Granger as its fifth Honorary Patron; receiving a National Award – The Medal of Service; hosting the 46th anniversary celebration of Rose Hall Town; opening of a Family Recreational Playpark; annual awards ceremony; and the massive Say NO/Say YES campaign.
On the cricket field the club cricketers continue to excel and during 2016 won the Tenelec Under-15 title (2015), Tenelec First Division 50-over (2015), Busta Champion of Champions (2015) and BCB/New York Business Group Under-19 Tournament (2016). The Under-19 team is also awaiting the playing of the Memorex Under-19 final versus Tucker Park.
The RHTY&SC during 2016 hosted a total of 16 cricket tournaments, including the Smartt/King Memorial Female 20/20, Farouk Kudrath Memorial Under-17, Nasir Memorial 5/5, Hand in Hand Insurance 5/5, Food for the Poor 5/5 and Beharry Say No/Say Yes Tournament, while the Busta Champion of Champions 2016 and the Ministry of Health Say NO to Suicide Under-19 would be played off by the end of the year.
The club also hosted its annual TCL Cricket Academy for over 100 young cricketers and its 26th annual award ceremony in April where over $2.5 million worth of prizes were shared out to club members.
The cricket section also benefitted from a new concrete pitch compliments of Republic Bank, $500,000 worth of investment in new cricket gears and hosted several members of the West Indies female cricket team. Shemaine Campbelle was also a member of the winning West Indies female 20/20 World Cup team and was duly rewarded, along with Tremayne Smartt.
Chanderpaul Govindan represented Berbice at the Under-15 level, while Kevin Sinclair, Junior Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson and Keith Simpson played at the Under-17 level. Brandon Prashad and Sylus Tyndall played for the Berbice Under-19 team, while 10 club members played for the different league teams in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Three-day cricket tournament – Collis Butts, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Rajiv Ivan, Eon Hooper, Clinton Pestano, Shawn Perriera, Keon Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson and Jason Sinclair.
At the national level, 17 RHTY&SC, M.S, members represented Guyana at the different levels and they are Kevlon Anderson, Sheneeta Grimmond, Deborah Vanderstoop, Dian Prahalad, Plaffina Millington, Aleema Arokuim, Shabika Gajnabi, Roshana Lynch, Erva Giddings, Shemaine Campbelle, Melanie Henry, Eon Hooper, Assad Fudadin and Royston Crandon.
Hooper made his First-Class debut after claiming the most wickets in the GCB Three-day tournament, while Fudadin (West Indies A), Erva Giddings and Shemaine Campbelle played for the West Indies.
To date, the RHTY&SC, M.S, remains the only club in Guyana to have a female cricket team and Foster expressed disappointment that neither the GCB nor the WICB has seen it fit to assist in the development of the girls by offering coaches.
The RHTY&SC, M.S, in 2016 was quite active off the cricket field as it strived to make a positive impact on the lives of others. The off-the-cricket-field activities were held under the sub-headings of sports, culture, charity, anti-crime, anti-drugs, anti-suicide, educational, youth development, social development, religious, community development, jobs for youths, anniversary celebrations, awards/honours and economic development among others.
The hosting of the Edward ‘B’ Beharry Company Limited’s Say NO/YES campaign was the largest of the programme with the distribution of thousands of youth information booklets, posters and banners to schools drawn from across Berbice.
The club also hosted the Guyana Oil Company’s Traffic Education Campaign, which included posters, brochures, information booklet, car stickers and television commercials and targeted all Primary and Secondary school students in Region Six.
Among the numerous programmes hosted by the club were the Tribute to Retired Head Teachers, Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, Lower Corentyne Outstanding Students Award Ceremony, Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence, Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award, Republic Bank, Educational Camp for Grade 6 students, DTV-8 Mother and Father of the Year, Annual Youth Review Magazine, Dolphin Award of Excellence, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Feeding of the Poor, Hampers for Single parents, Youth Inspiration Forum, Hampers for Single parents, Youth Inspiration Forum, Day of Sports, GBTI Inter Secondary School Tape-ball Competition, Inter Primary school softball tournament, Scotia Bank Anti-Suicide Children Mash Parade, Tribute to Head Teachers, Tribute to Heroes, donation of $1M worth of school bags to less fortunate students, restoration to Club Office, educational scholarships to 60 needy students and put up three Say No/Say Yes billboards.
The RHTY&SC also donated $600,000 worth of trophies to schools, clubs, churches and NGO’s, $2 million worth of sport equipment/gear to clubs, schools and over $8 million in clothing, footwear and food items to less fortunate families during the year.
The club also co-sponsored a total of 29 sporting competition across Berbice in the fields of cricket, softball, domino, football, volleyball, basketball, athletics, chess and scrabble. The club also sponsored 10 educational competitions – debated, essay, public speaking and spelling bee for students.
The RHTY&SC was also mandated by the Rose Hall Town Council to spearhead the 46th anniversary celebration of the small township. The club and its eight cricket teams in response organised Guyana’s largest Town Week celebration which lasted from September 14-25.
The programme, which included the Opening Ceremony and March Past, Pubic Exhibition, Medical Outreach, Educational Competitions, Curry Yard Fowl Competition, Public Concert, Feeding of the Poor, Honouring of Senior Citizens, Business Fair, Launching of Tourist Poster and a 40-page booklet on Rose Hall Town, Day of Sports, Steel-band Concert, Dancing Competition, Launching of Television Documentary while the physical appearance of the entire township was upgraded.
The construction and opening of the H.D. Hoyte Memorial Family Play Park was a special gift to the township from the club.
The year was completed in grand fashion with the hosting of the second annual Christmas Village for youths, annual Children Christmas Party, Senior Citizens Get Together, Feeding of the Poor, distribution of toys to less fortunate children, hampers for senior citizens and assisting the ST. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club in hosting several programmes for the church including its Sunday School party, Christmas Concert, Hampers and gifts for Church Members and Toys for Children.
Executives of the RHTY&SC, M.S, are currently working on a packed schedule for 2017 with an ambitious target of 450 programmes/activities. Special emphasis would be placed on expanding the club’s charity, Say Yes and No Campaign and also its cricket development programme.
The RHTY&SC, M.S, has Guyana’s largest cricket nursery with over 200 registered junior cricketers and the club is currently working on a plan to host an annual six-month cricket academy every year.
The club would also be hosting a month-long celebration in August/September 2017 to mark the 175th Anniversary of the purchase of Rose Hall Village by 57 freed slaves in 1842 from European planter, John Baird.
The RHTY&SC, M.S, would like to express gratitude to every donor and member of the media who contributed to the success of the club during 2016.
The list of donors is too long to mention, but special mention must be made of donors like Bakewell, Farfan and Mendes, Metro, DDL, Gizmos and Gadgets, Ansa McAl, GUYOIL, Edward B. Beharry Co. Ltd, Starr Computers, Goodwood Racing Servicing, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, Sterling Products, Namilco, Republic Bank, Scotia Bank, GBTI, Demerara Bank, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Protection, New GPC INC, Busta, DeSinco Trading, Sueria Manufacturing, Food for the Poor, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Tourism Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Len’s Craft, John Lewis Style, HA Snacks Co. Ltd, A. Ally and Sons, Najab’s Trading, Factory Price, The Gift Centre, Sentinel Security, Ricks and Sari, Digicel, John Fernandes, P+P Insurance, F+H Printery, National Sports Commission, Toucan Industries, Hand in Hand, Fly Jamaica, Wood Pecker Sports, Fitness Express, TCL, Kings Jewellery World, Impressions, Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, GCB, Ministry of Education, Caribbean Container INC, Ming’s, Dr. Karis Munroe, Sonia Leow, Caribbean Airlines, Roraima Airways, Travel Span, Mohammed Raffik, NPG, Poonai Pharmacy, Anamayah Memorial, Region 6 RDC, GWI, Vijai Ramoo, Artie Ricknauth, Toronto PNC/R Group, NBS, Central Corentyne Champers of Commerce, BCCBA, Big ‘B’ Restaurant, DTV-8, LRTVS CH10, Anil Ramnarine among numerous others.
Special thanks are also extended to DTV-8, NCN, LRTVS CH10, TVG, News Room, Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, Kaieteur News, News Update, Frankie Wilson, Gregory Rambarran, Rajiv Bisnauth, Avenash Ramzan, Sean Devers, Tracey Khan, Claude David, Stephan Sookram, Akeem Greene, John Ramsingh, Reaz Mohammed, Tanuja Raikha, Travis Seymour, Micheal Khan and Stacy Ramcharran for assisting the club to promote its work throughout 2016.
